Baptists Recorded Highest Divorce Rate Among Christian Denominations (1999 Barna Survey)

Associated Press — December 30, 1999
Updated commentary by Lewis Loflin (2020)

A nationwide survey conducted by Barna Research Group in 1999 found that Baptists had the highest divorce rate of any Christian denomination at 29%. This figure exceeded the national average and was higher than rates among Catholics (21%), Lutherans (21%), and even atheists/agnostics (21%). Non-denominational Protestants registered the highest rate at 34%.

The survey, based on interviews with 3,854 adults across the 48 contiguous states, indicated that 25% of all American adults had experienced at least one divorce.

2020 commentary (Lewis Loflin): Divorce and related social challenges disproportionately affect lower-income populations. Baptists in the South, where the denomination is strongest, tend to have lower average incomes and educational attainment than some other religious groups. Socioeconomic factors, rather than theology alone, appear to play a significant role in these outcomes.

Source: Associated Press, December 30, 1999 (reporting Barna Research Group findings)